The present invention pertains to the collection of seed gravitating from a wild bird feeder.
To a considerable extent bird seed in a wild bird feeder is wasted by the manner in which birds tend to discard viable, whole seeds in their selection of desired seeds. The unwanted seed normally gravitates to a surface under the feeder, such as the ground or man made substrates including decks and walkways, whereat it creates an unsightly mess, attracts rodents, or may even germinate, resulting in undesired ground cover. Another problem with the accumulation of seed on the ground or other substrate is that the seed can be-come moistened by rain or irrigation and contaminated by bird feces, both of which encourage the growth of mold and fungus contagions. Birds walking in and eating this contaminated seed then pass on disease to other birds, including Salmonellosis, Aspergillosis, house finch disease and avian pox. According to the USGS, Salmonellosis has been confirmed as a cause of death in passerine birds in all fifty states.
The desirability of collecting uneaten seed from bird feeders has been considered with the following U. S. patents disclosing various types of seed collectors.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,988,111 discloses a bird seed collector of platform shape suspended below a bird feeder with the collector having an expanse of screen carried by a frame.
U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,775,256 and 5,711,247 disclose a bird seed collector platform supported on a bird feeder post. The collectors utilize a screen in a framework.
U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,847 and 4,940,019 disclose a bird seed collector in combination with a bird feeder wherein the uneaten seed gravitates into a bowl shaped collector having a removable stopper at its lower end for seed discharge.
The present invention is embodied within a collector for disposition below a bird feeder which prevents birds and rodents access to collected bird seed with provision made for attachment of the collector to a range of bird feeders.
As bird feeders come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and structural features, it is highly desirable to provide a collector for use with a majority of known bird feeder designs.
A downwardly convergent main body of the present collector is provided with a perforate barrier through which seed may pass but which prevents access to the collected seed by birds or animals that may be attracted by its presence. The main body of the collector is of light weight material, of either flexible or semi rigid construction, of downwardly convergent configuration and having an upper end of an expanse to collect virtually all of the seed displaced by birds during feeding. The perforate barrier occupies an area in the main body below the rim and may contact the main body to preclude tipping if alighted on. Attachment means of collector centrally locates the main body with respect to the superjacent bird feeder. The main body may be free to tip to discourage rodents from clinging to the collector.
Important objectives of the present invention include the provision of a collector for wasted bird seed of convergent configuration with a perforate barrier therein to enable seed passage while prohibiting the entry of birds or small animals seeking the waste seed therein; the provision of collector for suspension beneath a bird feeder with provision of attachment means compatible with a range of bird feeder designs; the provision of a seed collector having a perforate barrier securely supported therein against tipping in the collector main body by reason of having contact around its perimeter with the inner periphery of the main body; the provision of a bird seed collector which may be emptied periodically by passing collected seed back through the barrier; the provision of a seed collector which may be easily disassembled for periodic cleaning and decontamination; the provision of a seed collector having a main body which may be formed from either semi rigid injection molded or extruded flexible material which facilitates low cost production and packaging costs; the provision of a seed collector attachment means serving to both suspend the collector from a feeder and secure the barrier to the main body of the collector.